Pastry tube straightening and assembling apparatus



A. W. MOSER Oct. 25, 1960 PASTRY TUBE STRAIGHTENING AND ASSEMBLING APPARATUS Filed July 19, 1955 kye'miar' Aucvusf M Nessa PASTRY TUBE STRAIGHTENING AND ASSEMBLING APPARATUS August W. Moser, 2732 Budd St., River Grove, Ill.

Filed July 19, 1955, Ser. No. 523,082

2 Claims. (Cl. 15332) The present invention relates to apparatus for the maintenance and use of pastry tubes used in the culinary arts. More particularly it is concerned with the provision of apparatus for straightening the metallic pastry tubes and for assembling the straightened tube with the pastry bag with which it is to be used.

As those familiar with the culinary arts are aware, the decoration of pastries or the like, as well as the making of certain fancy baked goods, requires the use of a pastry bag and tube. The pastry tube which comprises a generally frusto-conical sheet metal member having its constricted end cut with slots or sawtooth projections to provide various cross-sectional shapes to materials passing through the restricted end thereof, is inserted in a larger frusto-conical cloth bag having a restricted end slightly less in diameter than the maximum diameter of the tube and a large end open. Decorative material, such as icing, or dough or the like, is placed within the bag and the end of the bag is closed by twisting the end or rolling the end back upon itself. Continued rolling of the end of the bag forces the material out through the tube giving the extruded material a crosssection substantially the same as that of the projections provided at the small end of the tube.

In order to provide the desired shapes and sizes of pastry tubes it is necessary that the tubes be constructed of relatively light weight sheet metal. In practice, these tubes are continually deformed. Particularly, the small, thin, projecting teeth are often bent radially inwardly or outwardly into an inoperative condition and, likewise, the bottom edge of the tube often becomes curled or otherwise deformed. These deformations not only detract from the appearance of the extruded material but also cause crevices in which food lodges and additionally cause injury to the bag during its assembly therewith. Due to the generally conical shape of the tube it is practically impossible to straighten deformed tubes satisfactorily with conventional pliers or other similar hand tools. Accordingly, it has heretofore been the practice to discard or replace such deformed tubes. In addition to the deformations which take place unavoidably during use of the tubes, an additional source of trouble in this respect is the ditficulty sometimes encountered in assembling the tubes with the pastry bags. On occasion, and especially when deformed, the sharp projections on the small end of the pastry tube catch on the cloth of the pastry bag when the tube is inserted therein, causing further deformation of the tube and, as noted above, causing injury to the bag itself. Since such bags are expensive, elimination of this cause of trouble has proven of greatimportance in the art.

In accordance with the present invention, an apparatus is provided. for straightening bent or otherwise deformed pastry tubes into a condition substantially identical to that of the originally manufactured item and an apparatus is provided for assembling the pastry tube into a pastry bag without injury to the tube. In accordance with the invention, a rigid conical member having a conical configuration substantially identical to that of the originally manufactured pastry tube, is provided on a standard. A second substantially rigid member having a hollow conical internal surface mating with the conical external surface of the first member is provided for cooperation therewith. In operation, a bent or otherwise deformed pastry tube is slid over the first conical member and the second hollow conical member is positioned thereover and forced downwardly, by a sharp, plunging, motion of the hand, forcing the pastry tube to conform to the external conical surface of the first member and the internal conical surface of the second member. After the pastry tube has been returned to its original configuration in this manner, the second hollow conical member is removed and the pastry bag is slipped down over the first conical member. In this assembly operation the pastry tube is supported by the first conical member and the provision of a relatively long standard or support permits the cloth or canvas bag to be slid down over the tube and pulled snugly into frictional engagement with it from below. The pastry tube is then grasped by the portion thereof extending beyond the pastry bag and is slid off the supporting cone ready for use.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a novel apparatus for reconditioning pastry .tubes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple means for assembling pastry tubes to their respective pastry bags without danger of deforming the tube.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a pastry tube straightening apparatus capable of returning deformed pastry tubes to their originally manufactured tolerances.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of a pair of mating external and internal conical surfaces constructed for returning a deformed frusto-conical sheet metal member to a perfect frusto-conical shape.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a conical. pastry tube support on a base or standard member whereby a pastry bag may be slid down over a supported pastry tube into assembled relation therewith.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of serrations on the conical reshaping members whereby the members may readily be removed from a reshaped pastry tube subsequent to the reshapingoperation.

Still other and further objects and features of the present invention will at once become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the attached drawings wherein two modifications of the present invention are shown by way of illustration only, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the pastry tube straightening apparatus of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the outer tubular member used in conjunction with the apparatus of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III of Figure 2; and 1 Figure 4 is an elevational view, in substantially reduced scale, illustrating the operation of a pastry tube subsequent to repair.

As shown on the drawings:

As may be seen from Figure 4, a pastry tube and bag combination generally comprises a tube 10 and a cloth or canvas bag 11 having an enlarged end closed after filling by rolling as at 12. Continued rolling of the bag 11 causes the extrusion of pastry material 13 having ridges or other decorative effects on the surface thereof formed by the pastry tube teeth 14. As may be seen, the pastry tube 10 cooperates with the inner surface of the bag 11 as at '15 to provide a frictional gripping contact therewith.

The pastry tube is shown in enlarged view in Figure 1 and is there provided with a plurality of sawtooth edges 14. It will be understood that the serrations 14 may be of varying lengths and widths to provide varying crosssections of the extruded material 13'. However, the. straightening and assembling apparatus here described is equally useful independently of the specific dimensions of the teeth 14. The tube 10, assuming it to be damaged or otherwise deformed by bending, is placed over a substantia'lly conical steel member 16 having an external conical surface lying on a taper equal to that of the pastry tube when originally manufactured. In practice this angle is ordinarily an included angle of approximately 20 although it will be understood that for pastry tubes utilizing a different included angle, a support will be provided having an included angle equal to that of the pastry tube.

After the pastry tube 10 is mounted on the conical support 16, a cap member 17 having an internal conical surface of a taper substantially equal to the taper of the conical support 16 is positioned over the tube 10 and the head 18 thereof is given several sharp blows with a soft rubber hammer or the like, or merely forced against the relatively soft tube by a plunging mot-ion of the hand. This motion causes the cap 17 to slide downwardly against the tube 10 tightly confining it between the members 16 and 17 and causing the tube to assume its original frusto-conical shape. At the same time, the teeth 14 are straightened. As may be seen, the cap 17 is provided with an axial bore 19 to permit air to escape during the straightening operation.

Subsequent to the straightening operation above described, the cap 17 is removed and the pastry bag 11, shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 is slipped over the conical support 16 and drawn downwardly until the constricted end 11a frictionally engages the base of the tube 10. A snug frictional fit is readily obtained through the use of the present invention since the bag 11 is constructed of a relatively resilient cloth material and the enlarged end 1112 thereof may be grasped and pulled downwardly at a point below the conical support 16. This is assured through the provision of a standard or support 20 which is in turn mounted on a base 21. It will be understood that the standard or base 20 may be disposed horizontally or vertically and may be screwed into a wall surface or any other support member where the movable base 21 is not practicable.

In the modified form shown in Figures 2 and 3 a cap 17a is provided in place of the cap 17 above described. As may be seen, the cap 17 is provided with a converging diverging internal conical surface. Thus, a relatively long internal conical surface 22 is provided and extends to a restricted orifice 23 at which point the diverging conical surface 24 begins. Serrations 25 are provided along the length of both the surface 22 and the surface 24 to provide air passages between the pastry tube 10 and the cap 17a. These passages assure the ready removal of the cap 17a from the tube 10 after the straightening operation. Serrations may, of course, be utilized with the cap 17 illustrated in Figure 1 for the same purpose.

The cap 17a may be utilized in a manner similar to that above described relative to the cap 17 insofar as the surface 22 is concerned. The relatively short conical surface 24, however, is utilized in conjunction with pastry tubes 10 in which the base edge is rolled or spun outwardly for rigidifying effect. Since such pastry tubes are normally sold in sets, the length of the surface 24 is approximately inch shorter than the distance to the spun over edge of the smallest tube of the set. When such rolled edge tubes are utilized, the cap 17:: is positioned over the tube, which is in turn mounted on the support member 16 with the surface 24 in contact with 4 the tube. The cap 17a is then forced downwardly by its large end 17b to straighten the teeth 14 of the tube 10. As in the case of cap 17, the restricted orifice 23 is provided to assure proper venting of the apparatus during the straightening step and to permit ready removal of the cap subsequent to the straightening operation.

It will be understood that various materials may be utilized in the manufacture of the present device. However, it is preferred that stainless types of steel containing chrome and nickel be used. Such steels do not stain in ordinary use with pastries and, further, are very easily cleaned and kept sanitary.

It will thus be understood that I have provided a novel apparatus for straightening pastry tubes and for assisting in the assembly of such pastry tubes to their pastry bags. This apparatus is useful with any and all sizes of pastry tubes and may be constructed in various angles of taper to accommodate any and all pastry tubes marketed. Since it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications in the above illustrated structure may be made without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention, it is my intention that the scope of the present invention be limited solely by that of the hereinafter appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. Apparatus for straightening a generally frustroconical sheet metal pastry tube comprising a first conical support member having an external conical surface of the taper to be imparted to said tube and of a length greater than the length of the tube for projection beyond the small end thereof when inserted therein, a second constricted end member having an internal conical surface having a taper mating with the taper of said first member and an impact receiving means on theconstricted end for receiving an impact causing said second member to contact with the external surface of the tube mounted on said first member whereby the inner and outer surfaces of said tube are straightened, into said taper, said second member having an aperture therein at the constricted end thereof venting the small end of said internal conical surface to the outside of said cap.

2. Apparatus for straightening a generally frustoconical sheet metal pastry tube comprising a first support member having an external conical surface of the taper to be imparted to said tube and of a length greater than the length of the tube for projection beyond the small end thereof when inserted therein, a second constricted end member having an internal conical surface having a taper mating with the taper of said first member and having an impact receiving means on the constricted end for imparting a force urging said second member to contact with the external surface of the tube mounted on said first member with the second member telescoped thereover whereby the inner and outer surfaces of said tube are straightened into said taper, said internal conical surface having a plurality of generally axially extending serrations therein whereby an air lock between said members and said tube is prevented.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 3,741 Howard Nov. 23, 1869 1,526,013 Roseberry Feb. 10, 1925 1,974,963 Lindquist Sept. 25, 1934 2,085,796 Fritsch July 6, 1937 2,120,595 Ash June 14, 1938 2,612,204 Rickhoff Sept. 30, 1952 2,687,163 Smith Aug. 24, 1954 2,728,317 Clevenger Dec. 27, 1955 2,737,836 Nicholson Mar. 13, 1956 2,778,390 Young Jan. 22, 1957 

